


Sea of Love

by hallwayperson



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Episode: s04e20 Small Potatoes, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-24
Updated: 2017-06-24
Packaged: 2018-11-18 13:44:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11291877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hallwayperson/pseuds/hallwayperson
Summary: Silly fluff set right after Small Potatoes.





	Sea of Love

**Author's Note:**

> Silly fluff set right after Small Potatoes.

“Faster,” Scully yelled while gasping for air.

“I’m going as fast as I can,” Mulder panted, beads of sweat on his forehead.

“I’m almost there, are you coming?” she yelled as she checked up on him.

“Not so loud, you’ll draw attention,” he hissed.

“Just come,” she hissed back.

“Right here,” he suddenly said into her ear.

Mulder was now inches from Scully’s side and he quickly grabbed her hand while they ran as fast as they could through the dark forest. This was not how he’d imagined their first real date.

* * *

It was a Friday afternoon when Mulder came knocking on Scully’s door. His hands were sweaty and his heart was pounding wildly in his chest. _Come on, Scully. Open the door._ Uneasy on his feet, he started walking in circles.

“Mulder, what are you doing?” Scully said puzzled when she opened the door.

“Scully! I was just… nothing. I just thought you should know that I’m taking you out tonight. It’s our last night here in Oregon and I want to show you something. Wear something comfortable!” he said smiling, his voice trailing off, while walking away to avoid a resolute NO.

“Mulder!” she yelled to him right before he turned a corner.

“What?” he replied when his arm scratched the corner of the wall as he turned around to look at her.

“What time?”

“Uh, in an hour? Is that okay?” he said feeling like an idiot for rushing away before letting her know when.

“Sure. Wear something nice for me,” she said with a smirk on her face.

It made him feel less nervous although he had just bumped into a wall in a moment overwhelmed by panic and giddiness. He was familiar with this part of Oregon, having spent many summers here with his parents. He remembered daily adventures going to the big and strange forest near the beach. When climbing the tall pine trees no longer had satisfied his need of fun and getting away, he moved on to exploring caves on the wide beach. One time he had found a skull in a cave and when he’d told his parents they had laughed and joked that maybe he’d been too young to watch The Goonies. 

That’s when he stopped telling them things.

He remembered an abandoned lighthouse hidden deep in the forest near a little waterfall. Very quickly this out of place lighthouse amongst the tall pine trees became his favorite hideaway. It was perfectly misplaced and alone out there, the odd one out, which had soothed him and it had made him feel less alone. Of course, he had failed to notice the resemblance until he had been too old to go on these kind of adventures. He hadn’t been there for years and he loved the thought of going there with Scully, to show her his safe haven as a teen. It seemed right.

He undressed in front of the mirror under the flickering fluorescent light. _God, I’m pale. Maybe I should just call it off, he thought._ He stared at himself in the mirror, dark eyes stared back at him. _And maybe I should shave._ He scratched his chin and decided to leave it be. He had heard Scully express her love for stubble, as long as it didn’t scratch too much, and who was he to deprive her from her favorite things. It made him think of the strawberries in the fridge. He’d been up at dawn to prepare everything, it had taken him an hour to find a farm that had strawberries. He didn’t even like strawberries, or any fruit really, but he was a sucker for clichés and this cliché included those damn berries.

He stepped into the shower and let the cool water calm his nerves. It was not like Scully was a total stranger but something made him feel terribly nervous. Just a few weeks ago, he’d caught her a millisecond from kissing Eddie Van Blundht– who she thought was him. She had shared a bottle of wine, her secrets, her hopes, dreams, and whatnot with this Blundht guy, and it had made him jealous. So jealous. It had taken all his strength not to punch him in the face when he had interrupted them. Him. Them. She’d been too embarrassed to say anything, really, but had quickly shoved Blundht away when her eyes had caught him standing there in the door frame. He’d taken care of Blundht while he’d told her to sleep it off and forget about it.

Monday morning had been like any other Monday morning. On the surface, anyway. Scully hadn’t said anything, he hadn’t said anything, and they had continued their work as if nothing had just happened, as if Scully hadn’t been tantalizingly close to kissing him, but not him, but… him.

Cautiously, he stepped out of the shower unable to see himself in the foggy mirror, which probably was for the best. His legs felt like they would buckle under him any minute. _You can do this. She almost kissed your face, for Christ’s sake!_ He dressed himself in his favorite Levi’s, a warm sweater, and combat boots. He filled a bag with food, a blanket, and an extra, warm sweater in case Scully hadn’t packed one. Then he waited a minute to go knocking on her door, feeling the sweat in his palms return. The short walk to her room was beyond nerve-wracking and his legs heavy like they were made of concrete. Even his knock made him nervous. He worried that it was too loud and not loud enough at the same time.. but there she was, smiling, leaning against the door frame.

“Ready?” he said, his voice full of newly acquired confidence. She had that effect on him.

“Sure. Where are we going?” she said excitingly while following him down the stairs. She was wearing combat boots too. Small combat boots.

“You’ll see,” he said as he unlocked the car and they both got in.

“Hmm,” she sort of hummed while smiling crookedly, which relaxed him.

The short drive to the forest nearly destroyed  him. Afraid of blurting out their destination, he couldn’t think of things to say, which made him panic. He could feel her staring too.

“Mulder, is everything okay?” Scully said softly, clearly sensing his worried state of mind.

“Yeah. I’ve just been looking forward to this,” he said with a sunflower seed between his teeth.

“And what exactly is this?” she said curiously.

“It’s you and me doing something nice that isn’t work-related,” he said, his heart once again pounding wildly in his chest. He was almost positive she could hear it.

“Well, we are parked in front of a forest. Are you sure this isn’t work-related?” she said in a deadpanned voice as they got out of the car.

“Positive. Scully, let’s just have a good time. I have sandwiches, a questionable wine this farmer sold me, and strawberries, and now we’re going to hike to a favorite place of mine,” he said while brushing her arm as they walked into the forest.

Everything looked the same, like the trees hadn’t grown while he’d been away. The narrow path was wider though, more worn-out from people having walked there before them. The last light of the day warmed both of them and he had to take off his sweater. Even Scully, who was always cold, hiked in her tank top. He couldn’t quit staring. Half an hour into the forest, they were stopped by a wire net fence.

“Well, this is new…” he said as he looked for ways around it or through it. He could hear the waterfall, which assured him they were in the right place.

“It’s okay, Mulder. Let’s just stop and eat here. It’s beautiful,” she said kindly.

“No, come on,” he said as he lifted part of the fence where a little hole had already been made.

“I’m not so sure about this,” Scully said reluctantly as she stepped closer to the fence.

“Please? Scully,” he said inches from her face hoping his eyes would reveal something he couldn’t quite express with words.

“You owe me,” she said as she held his gaze for a second before crawling through the fence.

“Always,” he said relieved that she’d gone through the fence.

He had to crawl through the fence too, which proved to be more difficult than expected. His shirt stuck to a sharp end and she had to drag him free.

_KRRRRITTTCHHH._

With a sudden move, he got through the fence, his shirt ragged, landing on top of Scully in the soft bed of the forest. This was not how he’d planned things out! He wanted to move so he didn’t crush her, but she just looked him in the eyes calmly while the moment lingered on. The air was lightly scented of her perfume and he breathed in, savoring everything. He brushed off a few leaves from her neck and she shifted slightly under him.

“Mulder?” she said in a low voice close to his mouth.

“Yes?” he replied, daring himself to look at her lips.

“You’re bleeding on me,” she said matter-of-factly.

“Oh!” he said surprised and quickly got up.

“Here, let me help you,” she said while tearing of a piece of her shirt to clean his cut, which made him wince. It was a superficial cut but nevertheless, it hurt. It was the kind of pain he gladly endured could Scully always be the one tending to his needs. He’d do the same for her. He’d even take all of her pain had he been able to do it.

His cut was cleaned and they continued to follow the sound of the little waterfall he remembered so well from his childhood. Scully walked in short steps right behind him as he quickly made his way wildly to the sound of water running. Slowly he told Scully about the wide beaches, about the skull in the cave, about his parents teasing him, and he told her about this otherworldly lighthouse, tall and enigmatic, that started to peek out from in between the trees. He left out the part of how it had made him feel less alone but he went on enthusiastically telling her about every single hideaway he’d ever had.

And there it was. The lighthouse stood out with its bright red and white stripes.. He loved it more than ever.

The look on Scully’s face alone was worth every effort. Every leaf in the forest was bathed in glorious, golden sunlight, the waterfall like their private little symphony, and the lighthouse still stood tall. All of this mattered. It mattered because he was there with the person who meant more to him than life itself. So used to taking care of only himself, he thought he’d forgotten how to care for someone else. Then came Scully, and she had changed everything for the better. He had cared about someone else. He wanted to care about someone else, and he did. She was his touchstone. Home had never been a place as much as it had been a feeling and he’d never felt as home as he did in her presence.

“Mulder.. This is breathtaking,” Scully said, genuinely impressed with the view. And the view certainly was breathtaking. They had been lucky with the weather and the sun was shining brightly, the special kind of light that only appears at the end of the day, making the stream of water look like a pool of glittering gold. Cars were out of hearing distance, which allowed the birds, crickets, and waterfall to stand out. It was as if the place remembered him and welcomed him back as a good, old friend. He really couldn’t have asked for more.

All he could do was smile. This was going better than he had planned.

However, to his disappointment, the lighthouse was locked and they decided to have dinner at the top of the waterfall, which at nine feet wasn’t much of a waterfall, but it was imperfectly perfect – much like the lighthouse in its strange surroundings, much like them.

The wine slowly kicked in, he cracked jokes, and she lovingly made fun of him as always. The light of their surrounds washed away all the anxiety and panic he felt earlier in the day.  They laughed, and the crickets chimed in as to mimic their every move.

“Oh, I nearly forgot,” he said as he dug out the strawberries that had been his morning quest.

“Mulder, you don’t even like strawberries,” she said already eyeing one out.

“No, I’m not too fond of them really but..”

“More for me then,” she said smiling all over her face.

The evening unfolded, he talked more about his summers spent in the forest to get away from his parents, and Scully listened intently while resting her head on a bundle of sweaters. The sun was getting lower in the sky and they would have to leave soon or risk not being able to find their way. With the retreating sunlight, came the bugs and a little beetle made its way down strands of Scully’s hair. He moved a tiny bit closer to remove it, freezing them both in a position that made him nervous. He told her to stay still, which startled her, but she did as told and with shaky hands he gently removed it. He couldn’t help but notice the softness on his fingertips and he wanted to run his fingers through her hair to feel all of it. Relief washed over her face when she saw the little beetle that obviously did not match what she’d imagined. His eyes caught hers and he was close enough to smell the strawberries on her breath. Her eyes made his heart pound, his palms sweat. He knew he’d have to make a move before the moment was gone. He was paralyzed with fear. But she had sensed his worry as she slightly parted her lips, and he stopped thinking. 

His lips met hers, and he could taste the strawberries and wine and her. It was better than he’d imagined. This felt like drowning in a sea of love, where his only desire was to drown over and over again. Begrudgingly he had to come up for air. Their lips parted and their kiss ended. He searched for her lips again, to taste her, and to die all those little deaths again.

“WHO’S THERE!?” a loud, raspy voice yelled from the woods.

The voice startled them, and he quickly got to his feet dragging Scully with him.

“This is private property! You’re trespassing!” the man yelled coming closer every second.

_There should have been a sign then,_ Mulder thought to himself while Scully, as if she’d read his mind again, told him they shouldn’t have gone through the fence. _Oops._  The man came closer and closer and they both panicked when Mulder suddenly dragged her to the edge of the waterfall.

“Do you trust me, Scully?” he said while holding her hand tightly in his.

“Hey! Come back here!” the forest ranger yelled, his voice nearing them.

“Do I have a choice?” she said, clearly startled by recent events.

“I hope you can swim, Dana,” he said with a panicked smile on his face.

“I hope you can follow, Fox,” she yelled while jumping off the waterfall.

“HEEEEEEY!” the forest ranger yelled again, which sent Mulder down the waterfall too.

The fall was over before he had time to truly feel it but it left him dizzy before the shock of cold water hit him hard like a concrete wall, his whole body in vertigo. The water felt like tiny needles all over his skin, not entirely uncomfortable, but he only had one thing in mind. 

_Scully, Scully, Scully._  

He said her name in his head like a chant and repeated until he reached the surface. “SCULLLLLLY!!!!” He moved wildly around, scanning for her eyes, but she was nowhere. He dove under the water to look for her but gave up as nothing but darkness met him. That’s when he felt something on his back and there she was as breathless as him.

“Scully! I thought…”

“…You thought I drowned? I could have though as out of shape as I am,” she said although she was treading water effortlessly.

“This is like a cheesy James Bond movie,” Mulder said short of breath.

“Yeah, I’m Bond and you’re the Bond babe,” Scully said as she swam against the shore.

“I’d fight you but being the Bond babe, it’s hard to argue,” he said smiling as he caught up with her.

“HEY! YOU TWO! STAY WHERE YOU ARE!” the forest ranger yelled from the other side of the stream, not the slightest sign of giving up.

They dragged themselves to land while the forest ranger made his way through the water to get to them. Surprised by his determination, they ran as fast as they could through the forest without knowing where they were going. A faint light, possibly from the road, gave them direction and they followed, as the forest ranger’s voice fainted.

“Faster,” Scully yelled while gasping for air.

“I’m going as fast as I can,” Mulder panted, beads of sweat on his forehead.

“I’m almost there, are you coming?” she yelled as she checked up on him.

“Not so loud, you’ll drag attention,” he hissed.

“Just come,” she hissed back.

“Right here,” he suddenly said into her ear.

He grabbed her hand and although this wasn’t how he’d envisioned their first date it had exceeded in every way imaginable. They had kissed. It was no longer just in his imagination. It made him feel greedy for more, more than kisses. He wanted what Blundht had. Her secrets. Her hopes. Her dreams. But he also wanted her heart and all its contents. Most of all, he just wanted to be in it. He wanted everything and he’d wait forever if he’d have to. When the yelling had stopped, they followed the road back to the car.

“I was wrong,” he said while resting his hand on her lower back as they walked along lazily, slightly cold from the water.

“About what this time?” she said with a crooked smile as she shivered.

“I do like strawberries,” he said as he stopped to hold her in a snug embrace before kissing her longingly and hungrily.


End file.
